Mr. Chairman, Bill C-59 needs to be carefully understood and evaluated, as proposed changes in conjunction with other legislative proposals may have significant effects on the rate, cost, and distribution of incarceration in Canada.
We know that the majority of offenders do not appear before the parole board at their earliest eligibility. We also know that waivers and postponements of parole hearings are related to the capacity of the Correctional Service to ensure that offenders have completed their core correctional programs in a timely fashion and that case management preparation has been completed on time.
The abolition of APR will have a system-wide effect on the ability of the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada to process cases in a timely fashion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll be pleased to answer any questions committee members may have.